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Chapter 264 - Demonic Earthworm's Lair
🕑 Added 2025-03-13 07:00:05 +0000 UTCThe pressure in the tunnel had increased significantly, making the air feel heavier and more oppressive. The temperature had also risen noticeably, though for cultivators, this wasn't a major issue as long as they surrounded their bodies with a layer of Qi to shield themselves from the heat.
Leyvi, however, had realized something about his Fire Immunity benefit: it only protected him from damage directly caused by fire, such as high heat from flames. If the heat came from another source, like the geothermal energy deep underground, he would still feel its effects.
At this depth, the earth was rich with precious minerals and ores, scattered throughout the walls of the tunnels. However, the deposits were too sparse to justify the time and effort required to dig new tunnels and mine them. Leyvi and Crown Prince Dastan had learned to be selective, focusing only on the most concentrated and valuable resources.
What puzzled Leyvi the most was the limitation of his spiritual sense. At this depth, he could no longer penetrate beyond ten kilometers. It was as if something was blocking his spiritual perception. He hadn't noticed it at first, as there were countless things to pay attention to in the dark tunnels, but now it was impossible to ignore. Could it be that the environment has become so harsh that it's interfering with my spiritual sense? Leyvi wondered.
A day later, while observing the surroundings through his spiritual sense, Leyvi noticed something unusual. The sprawling network of earthworm tunnels, which had previously branched out in all directions, was now beginning to converge. The paths were narrowing, leading toward a central point.
Could it be that we're finally approaching the lair of the Demonic Earthworms? Leyvi thought, his curiosity piqued. Please let there be great treasures, please let there be great treasures! he silently prayed, his excitement growing.
Crown Prince Dastan, who had been quietly maneuvering the Crown Rider, noticed Leyvi's sudden alertness. "What is it now? Did you find another deposit?" he asked, his tone brimming with impatient curiosity.
"Something more interesting," Leyvi replied, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the converging tunnels ahead. "The tunnels are leading to a central point. I think we're about to reach the heart of the Demonic Earthworms' territory."
Dastan's eyes gleamed with unbridled excitement. "The heart of their territory? Daa hahaha! That means there could be more treasures! This prince's luck is finally turning around!" His voice carried a triumphant ring, as though the treasures were already within his grasp.
Dastan didn't question Leyvi's judgment. While he didn't know the exact range of Leyvi's spiritual sense, he was certain it far exceeded his own. What truly impressed him, though, was Leyvi's ability to maintain his spiritual sense almost continuously. Dastan could barely manage an hour before mental exhaustion set in. Even the four Spiritual Cultivator Royal Guards accompanying him had to rotate shifts every four hours to avoid fatigue. Leyvi's endurance was nothing short of extraordinary.
For a fleeting moment, Dastan entertained the idea of recruiting Leyvi as a Royal Guard. But the thought dissolved as quickly as it came. Leyvi's constant disrespect and sharp tongue would make the arrangement unbearable. No amount of treasure was worth that kind of irritation.
What Dastan didn't know was that Leyvi's ability stemmed from his Dual Mind benefit—a unique advantage that allowed him to use both minds to control two separate distinct actions or alternate between two minds, giving one rest while the other remained active. Something that Crown Prince Dastan could have never imagined.
Shaking off the distraction, Dastan refocused on the potential lair ahead. "Daa hahaha! Let's go there quickly! This prince's epic underground adventure will finally reach its first checkpoint!" he declared, his laughter echoing through the tunnels as he accelerated the Crown Rider, eager to claim whatever treasures awaited them.
However, the next moment, Crown Prince Dastan's head tilted slightly after being slapped by Leyvi.
"Dammit, Leyvi! Why did you try to assassinate this prince? This prince's head is not something you deserve to touch!" Dastan yelled, his earlier excitement replaced by indignation. The happy mood had evaporated in an instant.
"Why are you being so impatient? Slow down the Clown Rider," Leyvi retorted, his tone sharp and unamused. "We still don't know if it's safe ahead. Just because we haven't encountered anything dangerous yet doesn't mean it'll stay that way. If you attract any demonic beasts, you're on your own to deal with them."
Crown Prince Dastan opened his mouth to argue but found no words to counter Leyvi's logic. Reluctantly, he slowed down the Crown Rider. Normally, he wouldn't care about consequences—his Royal Guards would handle everything. But this time was different. His life depended entirely on Leyvi's protection, and he had no choice but to comply.
The Crown Rider now moved cautiously as they approached the tunnel convergence. To further ensure their safety, Leyvi created a Qi barrier around them, muffling any sounds that might echo through the tunnels. Communication shifted to voice transmission, leaving the eerie silence of the underground undisturbed.
Leyvi heightened his vigilance, scanning their surroundings for any signs of danger. He wasn't about to let his guard down, especially now.
Soon, they reached the point where all the sprawling tunnels converged into a single, massive main tunnel. It was enormous—about 50 meters wide, dwarfing any passage they had encountered so far. Leyvi's initial wonder at how such a massive tunnel could exist so deep underground without collapsing was quickly answered. The walls were reinforced with a thick layer of hardened mucus, seeping deep into the surrounding earth and making the structure incredibly sturdy.
"It seems I underestimated the strengthening effect of this hardened mucus," Leyvi murmured to himself. "This could definitely be used to enhance the durability of weapons or armor. It looks disgusting though. Hmm...I should try to collect some if I can find it in its non-hardened form inside the lair. Unless it only comes directly from their bodies…" His voice trailed off as he pondered the possibilities, his mind already calculating the potential uses for such a material. He couldn't think of much, but Sawi definitely could do something with it.
"What are you talking about?" Crown Prince Dastan asked, his voice tinged with confusion.
"Oh, you want some too?" Leyvi replied casually. "This hardened mucus on the wall. If we find some, I'll give you 20%, as usual."
"Eww...You can take all of it. This prince has no interest in gross things. If people found out this prince collects mucus, my good reputation would be tarnished forever," Dastan declared, his tone dripping with disdain.
"You have a good reputation? Clown Prince, whoever reported that was probably just lying to you to avoid enduring your stupid tantrums. I don't believe for a second that you have a good reputation. I consider myself a patient man, but even I couldn't stand your attitude when we first met," Leyvi shot back bluntly.
Crown Prince Dastan opened his mouth to retort, but the words caught in his throat. A creeping doubt settled in his mind. Were they really lying? Was it all just a performance to please me? The image of his subordinates and servants, their faces hidden behind black masks with eerie smiles, flashed before his eyes again, haunting him.
Leyvi noticed the unusual silence and observed Crown Prince Dastan closely. This was the second time he'd seen that confused, unsettled expression on the prince's face. Don't tell me he's actually worried that his people aren't who he thought they were? Leyvi thought, intrigued. Interesting. I didn't expect someone as arrogant as him to care about something like this.
"Oi, Dastan, watch the way. You want to crash into the wall or something?" Leyvi's voice transmission cut through the prince's spiraling thoughts.
Snapped back to reality, Crown Prince Dastan quickly adjusted the Crown Rider's course, steering it properly again.
A few minutes later, Leyvi's demeanor shifted. His senses sharpened as a vast space entered the range of his spiritual sense. The more the area revealed itself, the more certain he became that this was indeed the lair of the Demonic Earthworms. Now, the question was whether any of the creatures remained or if he had wiped them all out during their last encounter.
After a few more minutes of cautious progress, Leyvi signaled Crown Prince Dastan to stop the Crown Rider. By now, Leyvi's spiritual sense had mapped the entirety of the Demonic Earthworms' lair. He wasn't willing to move any closer until he had thoroughly investigated the area for potential dangers.
The lair itself was a massive underground cavern, stretching a few kilometers wide. The cavern was so vast and deep that its ceiling was lost in darkness, far beyond sight. Even with the faint illumination from spirit ore veins and glowing bioluminescent objects scattered across the cavern, the upper reaches remained shrouded in an impenetrable void, giving the space an eerie, endless feel.
Because of this, Leyvi's spiritual sense could only capture the silhouettes of objects and the auras they emitted. Like normal eyesight, just because one could "see" more with their spiritual sense didn't mean they could notice everything at once. It still required focus and attention. Given the sheer size of the lair and the limited visibility, it would take Leyvi hours to thoroughly inspect everything within it.
As he scanned the area, Leyvi's mind wandered back to the miracle event in Bara City. Back then, his spiritual sense had been heightened to an extraordinary degree—he could see everything clearly in the dark, even hearing sounds and detecting scents within his range.
If he could replicate that ability now, it would make this task infinitely easier. Unfortunately, that heightened state seemed unreachable for the time being. It was likely something he could only achieve much later, once his spiritual sense evolved further.
